


Connections

by taleanaomi



Category: 24 (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 06:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13452645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taleanaomi/pseuds/taleanaomi
Summary: In the middle of a case, an old acquaintance of Jack's makes a surprise appearance. Season 3. One-Shot





	Connections

24: Connections

o0o

It was that tiny glint of light that had given him the location. It was something so small that he ordinarily wouldn't have seen it; it was something that would have been missed unless a person was trained to see it. And Jack Bauer was trained to see it. 

His gun came up and he headed towards the flash. The flashlight in his other hand was heavy. His grip tightened on his gun as he slowly made his way towards the old barn. The gravel beneath his feet crunched underfoot and he winced, wishing that it wasn't so damn loud. 

Thunder boomed overhead again and the smell of rain was in the air, but Jack was ignoring that right now. It wasn't the strangest place he'd ever found himself in, but he knew it wouldn't be the last. Things had taken a turn for the worse since this morning. This barn wasn't the first lead they'd had, but it was the first to lend any substance to the rumors that someone intended to assassinate the visiting Prime Minister. 

He reached the barn and stopped, back against the large door. He turned, shining his light into the empty lower floor. It smelled musty, like old hay and forgotten metal. Jack pulled back and flattened himself against the barn door again. 

He had sent backup to the second location. The thought flitted across his mind. There wasn't anytime to call now. With a deep breath, Jack entered the barn. He scanned the empty room, locating the stairs leading to the loft. 

The quick flash he had seen had come from the front of the barn which was facing south. He had come from the east which meant he had remained hidden from the sniper. Maybe it wasn't a sharpshooter, but he damn well wasn't going to take any chances. 

He placed his foot on the first stair, gun held in front of him, finger on the trigger. The floorboards overhead creaked and Jack froze. Someone walked over the floor and Jack swung to his left as with a flurry of motion the person descended from the loft using the hay bale hoist like a fire pole. 

“Federal agent! Freeze!” 

The person landed on the floor and turned around at his shout, dark hair flying around her face. Jack frowned as he tried to see with his flashlight who the person was. Something told him he knew her. With a rush of cold wind, the rain started and pounded the tin roof. 

He stepped backwards down the stair, keeping his gun and light trained on the woman in front of him. His foot caught on something and there was a electronic click. 

Jack didn't look, he just ran. He swung to his right and hide behind the barn door as the explosives went off. The staircase was blown in half and the force of the blast flung Jack to the ground. 

He climbed to his feet, flashlight lost and caught sight of a dark shape making a run for it. Jack holstered his gun and ran after the suspect. 

With a flying tackle, he took her down. They both landed in the dirt that had now turned to mud with the force of the rain. She rolled to the side as they hit the ground and Jack felt a rock hard knee slam into his kidneys. It hurt. He fell to the side, hand breaking his fall. The woman shimmed out from under him, rolling to her knees. Jack threw mud at her, which caught her on the side of the face. He got to his feet, one hand at his side. 

The woman spun from her knees to her feet, managing to throw in a kick once again aimed at his torso. Jack stepped out of it neatly. She landed and held up her fists, throwing a right hook towards his face. He caught her arm and swung a blow of his own. She caught his wrist. 

A flash of lightening lit up the night sky illuminating both their faces. Jack realized why she had looked familiar. But it couldn't be. “Mia?” 

She headbutted him in the face. Jack stumbled back, blood running from his nose. She slammed the toe of her boot into his kneecap. He went down. A knee to his face sent him backwards on the ground, ears ringing. His left shoulder protested, he had landed on something hard. 

The flashlight. 

He grabbed the forgotten flashlight and switched it on, shining it right into her face. She yelped as the light assaulted her eyes and stumbled back. Jack scrambled to his feet and reached for his gun only to find the holster empty. 

He shone the light downwards, but a brighter light from overhead lit up the ground between them. The ground where his gun lay. The helicopter overhead was loud, blocking any other noise out. Both of them saw the gun at the same moment. Both of them moved towards it. Jack dove. Mia landed on her hands and knees. Both of them got their hands on the weapon.

She tried to raise it towards him, trying to outmuscle him. Jack pulled the weapon back towards him. They were both on their knees now. Jack kicked her in the side. The weapon swung towards the dirt. A shot rang out. Jack regained control and the barrel of the gun rested under Mia's chin. They both were panting; bodies inches apart. 

“Let go.” Jack ordered. 

Mia loosened her grip on the gun, but was unable to pull her arms away as they were wrapped up in Jack's. It was like some win or die version of Twister. 

“You got me.” She said softly. 

Behind them the helicopter had landed and a CTU SWAT team jumped to the ground. Their guns were instantly trained on Mia. Two of them cane over and grabbed her arms, loosening her from Jack's grasp and cuffing her hands behind her back. 

“I want two teams to search the barn.” Jack said holstering his gun. He wiped blood from his face. “She's coming with me.” He grabbed Mia by the arm and hauled her away from the helicopter where the noise lessened some. 

“You are not taking me back to CTU.” Mia hissed at him.

“Maybe I won't if you tell me everything you know.” 

“Go to hell.” She spat at him, yanking her arm out of his grasp. 

“I can make this easier on you if you cooperate with me.”

“Cooperate with you?” She shook her head. “No. We had a deal.” 

He motioned two of the SWAT members over. “Then we go back to CTU.” 

“No. Jack.” She protested as the men grabbed her arms and hauled her towards the helicopter. “Come on. Don't be stupid about this.”

Jack turned away and ignored her protests as one of the CTU agents called him over. Under the backdrop of the helicopter noise he listened as the man explained what they had found in the barn. He passed Jack a photo. That's when everything fell into place. 

His day had started early that morning. Their office had tasked with running checks on all the known terrorist networks looking for a hint that someone knew of the secret meeting between the President and the Prime Minister of Lebanon. Needless to say that if an assassin was successful then the United States would be held responsible for the assassination. 

The Central Intelligence Agency had murky intelligence that possibly a domestic assassin had been hired to take out the Prime Minister before the meeting could even happen. What was unknown was the identity of the person or country that had hired the assassin. 

Jack turned towards the helicopter. His face grim. It was time to get some answers. 

o0o

The ride from the location to CTU didn't do anything to improve his mood. He was still annoyed, cold, muddy, and sore when they landed on the roof of CTU. Mia was hustled towards the interrogation room and Jack was stopped by Tony Almeida. 

“What happened to you?” Tony asked eying Jack's muddy attire. 

“It rained.” Jack replied shortly.

Tony motioned to Mia who was being escorted into the interrogation room. “That her?” 

“Maybe.” Jack said. “The guys found this.” Jack showed Tony the picture that had been found at the barn. Tony raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack. 

“I know.” Jack threw the photo down on the desk. “It doesn't make any sense and if there wasn't the assassination, I would think this was an isolated incident, but I can't shake the feeling that she has something to do with this.”

“It makes sense.” Tony said. “While you were gone, we picked up a few meetings between locations we've had under surveillance. Apparently, someone has put out a hit on you, Jack.” 

“A hit?” Jack said in surprise. “Why me?”

“Closest we can figure, you're the one running the search for the assassin. Why not get you out of the way? We haven't been able to get any more information, but this could be what links her to this crisis.” 

“Yeah, but then Division would just send someone else to take over. They have to know that.” Jack said. He rubbed a hand over the back of his head. Nothing about this made any sense any more. He nodded to Tony. “Thanks, Tony. Let me know if you find anything else.” 

Tony walked back to his desk. Jack glanced around the office; his mind spinning. A frown came over his face and he strode towards the interrogation room. The agent hadn't even released Mia from her handcuffs yet when Jack grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the room. He pulled the chair away from the table and roughly sat her down. 

He leaned on either side of arm rests. “You're going to tell me who hired you to kill me.” 

Mia looked him square in the eye. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” 

Jack slapped her. “I know I'm not the real target!” He yelled at her. “Who hired you to take me out so you could get to the Prime Minister?” 

Mia didn't reply and refused to look at him. Jack stood up and then tossed a photo on Mia's lap. “We found this.” 

Mia picked up the photo, hand cuffs clinking. It was a picture of Jack; meant for locating a target. “I've never seen this in my life.” She replied lowering the photo to her lap once again. 

They eyed each other. Jack searched her dark eyes for a sign that she was lying; or telling the truth but he couldn't read her, yet. She had been trained well. He motioned one of the guards over, not taking his eyes off Mia. 

“Cuff her to the table.” He said to the guard, finally breaking eye contact. He stepped back as the guard did as ordered. He saw a tiny shiver go through her body. She had to be cold in those wet clothes. Strands of dark hair clung to the side of her damp face.

The guard stepped back into the corner where he was able to keep an eye on Mia. Jack headed towards the door, planning on changing before coming back in and going another round with her. 

“I'm a professional, Jack.” Mia said to his back. 

Jack stopped with one hand on the door. He turned back to face her. 

Mia raised her head to look at him, her cheek a dull red. “I know better then to leave something like this lying around.” She tossed the photo onto the floor between them. “The assassin you're looking for is an amateur; or he just really wants to get caught.” She told him. 

“Is that what you want?” Jack asked. “To get caught?” 

“Don't insult me, Jack. If I was going to take you out of the game it would be done already. You know that as well as I do.” 

Jack walked back and leaned on the table, looking down at her. “Nothing is a coincidence with you. What were you doing at that barn?” 

Mia didn't reply. 

“No answer. I figured as much. Talk to me, Mia. I know that you know something about what's going on.”

Mia tilted her head. “I get nothing in return. I have no reason to talk to you.”

Jack evaluated her for a moment, then turned and walked out of the room. He closed the door behind him to find Tony waiting in the observation room. “Take the temperature down a few notches.” Jack told the agent in the room before turning to Tony. “What is it?”

Tony held out a folder. “Since we had word that an assassin had been hired here in the States, we started monitoring all the hot spots in the area. One of the locations we've been monitoring, a bar, the owner has connections to Mia Anders.”

Jack took the folder and quickly skimmed the one page document. “Greg Peterson?” He said in surprise. 

“Yeah. You know him?” 

“He's a go between. A mediator between the assassin and their employer.” Jack closed the folder and turned to look into the room where Mia sat. “What's she doing going to someone like Peterson? It's doesn't make sense. She's high end, military training. Peterson only deals with lowlifes.” 

“Looks like she has some questions to answer.” Tony said coming to stand beside Jack. 

“Only if she'll talk.” Jack frowned as he studied Mia. 

“We could make a deal.” Tony suggested. “Offer her immunity if she tells us what she knows.” 

“The problem is I can only make that deal once, Tony. And I've already done that. I don't think anyone in Division is going to let that happen again. Not when it comes to an assassin like Mia Anders.” 

“Then make the deal anyways. Jack, I've read the file. If she's an dangerous as the assessment suggests then we should make the deal, get her to tell us what we need to know, and then lock her up.” 

Jack considered the options. 

“I know that you were almost reprimanded. Some people thought you helped her escape.” Tony said. 

“She didn't need any help. She managed that escape all by herself. Keep someone inside the room.” Jack ordered. “I don't want her breaking out before we have a chance to talk to her properly.” With one last look back at Mia, Jack left the room. 

o0o

About ten minutes later, Jack walked back into the observation room. He had changed and cleaned up. Several people had cornered him on his way back to the interrogation room and there had been two crisis that he had to deal with before he could get away.

Tony was standing in the room when Jack walked back in. He looked into the interrogation room. Mia was still sitting in the same position he had left her. He watched for a few minutes and realized that she was shivering. But so far the cold hadn't dampened her mood. 

“Is it working?” He asked, turning to Tony. 

Tony shook his head. “If it is, I can't tell. You going to give it a few more minutes?” 

Jack debated. “No.” He decided. “We don't have enough time. I want you to go in there and talk to her.” 

“Me?” Tony asked. 

“She won't be expecting you to interrogate her.” Jack replied. “If I go in there, we won't get anything for hours. She'll run me around in circles with endless banter. With you, we might have a chance that she'll talk.” 

“Ok.” Tony nodded. “I'll do it.” 

“Great. Ask her about the hit on the Prime Minister. We need to know if she knows anything about that. We already know that the hit on me is a distraction. Try to find out who hired her. Ask about Peterson.” 

“Ok.” Tony looked at Mia again before taking the folder from the table. “Just so you know if she wants a deal in exchange for what she knows, I'm going to give it to her.” He walked into the interrogation room, closing the door behind him. 

Jack moved closer to the window and raised the volume on the intercom by the glass.

“I need to ask you some questions.” Tony started out. 

“You're not Jack. This is a new tactic.” Mia said. “Usually the interrogator is someone I know.” She tried to control a shiver, but this time is was noticeable. 

“Cold?” Tony asked.

Mia smiled, but didn't answer him. 

“I know you told Agent Bauer that you had never seen this photo.” Tony laid the photo out on the table and then leaned down. “But I think you're lying. I think you have seen this photo before. I think someone hired you to fake a hit on Agent Bauer in order to distract him from being able to do his job. Just tell me who hired you.” 

Mia didn't answer for a moment and then pushed the photo away from her. She looked up at Tony. “Cute. Good cop, bad cop. I wager that you're the good cop.” She studied Tony for a moment and then frowned.

In the observation room, Jack frowned and shifted on his feet. Something wasn't right. 

“Who hired you?” Tony asked again.

“No one hired me.” Mia replied. 

“Someone did or else you wouldn't have heard about the hit on Agent Bauer.” 

“What did you think that our clients log onto message boards and ask for assassins for hire?” Mia shot back. “Word gets around.” She shivered again, body shaking. 

“Was it Greg Peterson?” Tony asked. “Was he the one who put the word out?” 

Mia looked up at him. Jack saw by her expression that she was surprised. She hid it well, but it was still surprise on her face. “Greg Peterson?” She repeated. “I don't know who that is.” 

“I think you do.” Tony said. He walked around the table. “We've been monitoring Greg Peterson's bar and we know that he runs guns for hire out of his backroom operation.” He sat on the edge of the table and shrugged. “Lowlifes. No one near your caliber or skill level.” 

“Now you're just mocking me.” Mia said with a tiny hint of a smile. 

“No. I'm just trying to stop an assassination.” Tony said. He stood up and walked around to stand behind Mia's chair. 

“If you're trying to stop an assassination, then you must know that I won't tell you what I know. Discretion is a must in my line of work.” Mia said, her voice quiet. She shivered again, body shaking. 

Jack studied her and wondered if the cold in the room was finally getting to her. She didn't look very well. 

“Talking to federal agents isn't discreet; I believe it's called informing.” Tony told her. “I wonder what Greg Peterson would say if he knew that you were here talking to us.” 

As soon as he said it, Jack knew that something was going to happen. 

Everything happened so fast that no one had any time to react until it was over. With her free hand, Mia reached behind her and grabbed Tony by the front of his shirt. She pulled and Tony stumbled as he tripped over her outstretched foot. His head hit the table.

Tony twisted out of her hold, grabbed her arm, forced it behind her back and slammed her down on the table. She fought him. In the struggle, Tony yanked on her arm. Mia cried out in pain. 

Jack ran towards the door. “Call security.” He ordered the analyst in the observation room. He shoved open the door and entered the interrogation room. 

“Calm down.” Tony ordered her. “Or I will break your arm.” 

“Tony. Let her go.” Jack said. Tony did, sitting her back down in the chair. Mia glared, grasping her shoulder with her free hand. It looked like it hurt.

“You're not going anywhere, Mia.” Jack said. “You might as well tell us what we want to know or I'll let my colleague take all the time he needs to get it from you.”

She shot a wary glance towards Tony. “And what do I get in return?” 

“Immunity.” Tony said. “But only if you tell us everything.” 

Mia raised an eyebrow. “Isn't that a one time thing?” 

“Not when it comes to the assassination of a visiting dignitary.” Jack replied. “Tell us what you know.” 

Mia sighed and then winced. “Peterson was the one who put out the ad for the hit on Jack. He's the one I got the information from. If you want to know who the client is, I'd start with Peterson.” 

“We need evidence.” Jack said. “Not another two hour interrogation. Whose the client?” 

“Peterson keeps files on all his clients as an insurance policy if they decide to take him out when the job is done. They'll be on the computer in his office. But he's paranoid about security; you'll never get in there.” 

Jack looked at Tony and together the two of them walked out of the room. Jack closed the door behind them. 

“What now?” Tony asked. “Peterson has at least four to five hit men hanging out in his bar at all hours. It'll be a bloodbath to send anyone inside. Plus we can't risk the chance that Peterson might delete the files we need before we get inside.” 

Jack glanced at his watch. It was just after twelve. “I wonder if it's too late for a social call. I'm thinking we should let Mia go into Peterson's and talk to him while I search his office.” 

“We can't trust her, Jack.” Tony said. “She could sell us out or worse let Peterson know that you're in the office.” 

“I'll just have to take that chance.” Jack said. Tony didn't look convinced. “Tony, we need that information. If Peterson was hired to take me out by the same person who arranging the assassination of the Prime Minister, we need to know who that is.” 

“I just think there's a better way to do this then involving Mia Anders. She's smart. If there's even a hint that we won't go through with our side of the deal...”

“There won't be.” Jack said firmly. “I made my decision, Tony. I'm taking Mia Anders with me. Let's get a medic in there to look at her shoulder.” 

o0o 

It took them five minutes to confirm that Peterson was indeed at his bar and another five to mobilize their small team. Tactical would be run from the CTU office with Tony in charge while Jack and Mia would be the team on the ground. There would also be another car down the street running covert observation on the whole operation. They would also be monitoring Mia to make sure she didn't say anything that could compromise Jack. 

The car ride to the bar was silent. If Jack didn't know any better, he would think that Mia was sulking. “How's the shoulder?” He asked finally after almost ten minutes had passed without a word.

“Fine.” Mia replied shortly, shifting in her seat. “No thanks to your boss.”

“He was just doing his job; you did attack him.” Silence from Mia once again. “Let's go over the plan once more.” Jack said. 

“I distract Peterson with assassin small talk while you sneak inside through the back and get his computer files. I get it.” Mia replied. “This isn't my first rodeo.” 

Jack turned the corner and parked in an ally several meters from the bar. Mia opened her door and stepped out. Jack followed. “Immunity, right?” She said over the hood of the SUV. 

Jack nodded. “Immunity.” 

Mia gave him a small smile and then walked across the street. She entered the bar. Jack spoke into his comm. “She just went into the bar. How's the audio?” 

“Coming through loud and clear.” The agent in the other car replied. “Music is a bit loud but we're adjusting for that.” There was a pause and then the audio came through Jack's earpiece. The alternative rock music was a little loud, but Mia's voice could be heard clearly. 

“I need to speak with Peterson.” Pause. “Not in his office. Out here; in the open.” There was another pause and then a minute later, Jack heard another voice. This one male. 

“Mia! Good to see you again.” 

“Greg. I need to talk to you. It's about that job you told me about?” Another pause. 

“Let's go over here where we can talk privately.” Peterson said. 

“Tony. What's the heat signatures looking like?” Jack asked. 

“We have five people in the bar carrying concealed weapons. No one is in the back office. You're clear to go inside, Jack.” Tony replied. 

Jack quickly crossed the street and went around to the back of the bar. He slipped through the service door after disabling the security camera and heat sensor. There two more security cameras along the hallway and then a locked keypad to get into the office. 

Through his earpiece, he heard Mia and Peterson discussing non specific details. Jack quietly rattled off the make and model of the lock and a few seconds later the manufacturers code got him through the door and into Peterson's office. Jack closed the door behind him and looked around the office. 

He quickly opened the computer and with a few quick words with the analyst at CTU, managed to get around the password and into the computer files. He had started browsing when he realized that the audio had fallen silent. 

“Smith?” He asked into his earpiece. There was no response. “Tony, I've lost audio on my end. Tony?” There was nothing but static coming through the earpiece. 

Jack looked up as footsteps came towards the door. There was no place to hide. He pulled his weapon and flattened himself beside the door. The door opened with an electronic buzz and someone stepped inside, holding a silenced gun in front of them. Jack shot the man, then stepped over his body and out the door. 

A burst of static came through his earpiece, deafening him. Jack yanked the earpiece out and then froze as the cold barrel of a gun touched the side of his head. Jack slowly turned to his left and saw the Peterson was the one holding the gun. “Drop it.” He growled. 

Jack dropped his weapon. 

“Back inside.” Peterson ordered. Jack complied and stepped back inside the office. Peterson waved him over to the corner of the room while he stood in the doorway. Peterson almost lazily pointed the gun in his hand at Jack. 

Jack raised his hands. 

“Now this is a surprise. When Mia mentioned that someone was breaking into my office, I never expected it to be a federal agent.”

For a moment, it felt like the world stood still. Mia had sold them out. Just like Tony had predicted. “You going to shoot me right here?” Jack asked. “People might start to ask some questions when more agents how up.” 

“I'll take my chances.” Peterson replied with a disgusted sneer. He cocked the gun and aimed. 

Jack flinched as two silenced gunshots sounded in the small room. He looked up and saw Mia standing in the entrance to the backroom, gun still pointed at Peterson. She raised it towards him as he moved forward.

“Don't move.” Mia ordered. She motioned him back into the corner. Jack reached behind him, grabbed a hold of the paperweight he had seen earlier and threw it at her. 

Mia ducked. Jack grabbed the gun from Peterson's hands and together they both straightened up and pointed their weapons at each other. 

“Put it down.” Jack ordered. 

“I'm not going to do that.” Mia replied. “Jack, lower your gun.”

“Put it down, Mia. I know you sold us out.” 

“I just saved your life and now you're going to take me back in?” She snorted. “No, thanks. Lower your gun.”

Jack hesitated and took a chance. “No.” 

“I will shoot you.” Mia warned. “I'll do what's necessary to get out of here alive.” 

“There's five hit men in the bar and two agents outside the backdoor. How are you going to get through them all?” 

She squeezed the trigger. Jack stumbled back as the bullet grazed his shoulder, but had no time to react as Mia came towards him. He lifted the gun, but Mia knocked it aside. She placed her weapon against the side of his head. “Don't try anything.” 

Slowly, Jack lifted his hands again. Mia grabbed him by his injured arm, thumb digging into the sensitive skin. Jack grunted as she pulled him towards the table, gun still trained at his head. “Get the handcuffs from the right drawer and cuff yourself. Hands behind your back.” 

She let him go and stepped back to a safe distance as Jack opened the drawer. He found the handcuffs and placed them on himself, cuffing his hands behind him. Blood was dripping down his arm and he realized that the graze must have been a lot deeper then he had first thought. 

“Why did you tell Peterson I was here? You had immunity!” 

Mia didn't reply and stepped towards him, still keeping her gun trained on him and tightened the handcuffs until the metal dug uncomfortably into Jack's wrists. She grabbed Jack by his injured arm again and walked him to the backdoor. 

The door banged opened before they could reach it. Mia shoot twice, both shots hitting their mark. The hit man fell to the floor. Mia shoved him along, stepping past the body of the man and out into the ally. She shoved Jack against the side of the SUV and dug through his pockets until she found the keys.

She opened the backdoor, shoved Jack onto the floor in the backseat and then closed the door. Jack shifted uncomfortably. The driver's door opened. Jack heard two more silenced gunshots and then the car started. Mia slammed her foot onto the gas, the force pushing Jack back against the seats. 

Several bullets hit the back of the car. It sounded like a several semi-automatic weapons. The back windshield shattered, covering Jack with broken glass. “What's going on?” He asked. 

“Shut up!” Mia told him, before taking a hard left once again shoving Jack against the seats. She glanced back quickly and then took another sharp turn. 

“What happened to my agents?” Jack asked. 

Mia shook her head. “I don't know!” She took a deep breath. “I'll drop you off near CTU. Damn! It almost worked.” 

Jack wasn't sure that the last remark was addressed to him. “What do you mean almost?” He asked. “Peterson had nothing to do with the hit on the Prime Minister, did he? There's no computer files either. You lied to me.” 

“So I could escape.” Mia sighed. “I knew that you could only make that immunity deal once. I'm not quite ready to go to jail.” 

“It's where you belong.” Jack shot back. “You kill innocent people for money.” 

“Hardly innocent.” Mia replied. “But I'm not about to debate ethics with you, Jack. The barn, where you found me earlier? I wasn't the first one there. I was tracking another assassin.” 

“Wouldn't it have been easier for you to kill me yourself rather then eliminating your competition?” Jack asked. 

Mia laughed. “Competition? Jack, the assassin hired to take you out is an amateur! An amateur with a high placed employer, but still an amateur. Leaving that photo behind was sloppy. Whoever hired him didn't bother to hide that it was distraction. You figured that out from the beginning.” 

“So this entire thing was a ploy. A way to get out of custody.” 

“Yeah. Sorry about that.” Mia said, but Jack knew it wasn't sincere. “You need to get back on track. Keep looking at domestic assassins, but not lowlifes. The assassin you're looking for, he isn't sloppy. He had you right where he wanted you.” 

The next ten minutes were spent in silence until Mia stopped the car. She got out and opened the back door, pulling Jack into a sitting position. He wriggled out of the back of the car and found that they were standing in one of the ally's near to the CTU building. 

Mia stepped close to him and placed something into the pocket of his jeans. “You'll need that later. Tell your boss I'm sorry about his head.” She slammed the door and got back into the driver's side. 

She drove off back into traffic and left Jack standing in the middle of the ally. Jack turned, getting his bearings and then set off towards the CTU building. Handcuffed and bloody, it was expected that the security guard was weary about letting him inside the building until Tony came out and personally vouched that it was indeed Jack. 

Tony found the keys that Mia had slipped into Jack's pocket and undid the handcuffs. “What happened?” He asked. 

“This whole hour was a distraction, a complete waste of time.” Jack replied. “Mia used Peterson as a chance to escape. He had nothing to do with the Prime Minister. What happened in the interrogation room was a ploy. She used our own tactics against us.” 

The two of them started walking through the building. Tony looked at his shoulder. “She do that?” 

“It's nothing.” Jack replied. “I want to see a list of domestic assassins. Let's leave the search for the assassin who was hired to take me out alone for a moment and concentrate on the Prime Minister. We're looking for someone who has intensive military training.”

Tony nodded. “Ok. You want us to track your SUV? See if we can find her?” 

Jack shook his head. “No. She knows better then to hang onto a vehicle with GPS. She's long gone.” 

“I'll get someone to pull up the list.” Tony said. 

“Thanks, Tony.” 

Jack pushed open the door to the medical bay with his good arm and went inside. As the doctor on call that night stitched him up, Jack thought about everything that had happened that night. The crisis was far from over, but he knew that this portion with Mia was over. She had done what she needed to do and she wouldn't be coming back into contact with him for a while. It was too risky for her. 

All he knew was that this night was far from over. He still had an assassin to catch.


End file.
